Stereophonics - Have A Nice Day

JUN 11 2001 · 12:00

Stereophonics - Have A Nice Day (2001) Director: Jake & Jim Era: Post-Britpop / Early-2000s British Rock (2001) - Peak era of Welsh rock crossover acts breaking into mainstream UK chart dominance and first US Adult Top 40 traction High curatorial value as a confirmed chart-peak artefact (UK no. 5, 2001) from one of Wales's most commercially successful rock acts of the era. The video is notable for its artist-authored visual treatment, explicit citation of Hendrix and Eastwood as reference points, and its position as a crossover moment in Stereophonics' catalogue, their first US charting single. The directorial discrepancy between IMDB/Wikipedia (Jake & Jim) and IMVDb (Mike Lipscombe) flags a potential second-version research thread. The muted, warm, high-contrast aesthetic and fast editing rhythm are exemplary of early-digital British rock video production values at the turn of the millennium. Context: Released 11 June 2001 as the second single from Just Enough Education to Perform, 'Have A Nice Day' arrived at the peak of post-Britpop British guitar rock's mainstream commercial phase. The song's lyrical genesis, a San Francisco cab driver's anti-tourist monologue ending in ironic pleasantry, captures the era's engagement with Americanised consumer culture as seen through British/Welsh eyes. The video's Electric Ladyland homage consciously roots the band in classic rock lineage at a moment when UK guitar bands were negotiating between heritage credibility and chart accessibility. The single debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart and became the only Stereophonics single to chart on the US Billboard Adult Top 40, marking a rare trans-Atlantic breakthrough moment for a Welsh rock act in the early 2000s. Director notes: The video was directed by Jake & Jim and released in 2001 to accompany the second single from Stereophonics' third album Just Enough Education to Perform. The visual treatment was written by Kelly Jones, who cited two explicit artistic reference points: the UK sleeve artwork for Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album (explaining the twenty-one models surrounding the band) and the 1980 Clint Eastwood film Bronco Billy (the inspiration for the rotating target disc to which Kelly Jones is strapped at the wrists and ankles). The video features the band in a studio void setting. IMVDb lists a separate director credit of Mike Lipscombe, suggesting a possible second video version exists for this single.